Sebastian laughed as his shoulders relaxed. “I guess nothing to worry about, then. It’s a little hard to explain, but lately I’ve been focusing on photocatalytic water splitting and quantum yields in visible light in particular.”
Declan grunted. “I’ve never been much of a book type, but I’m guessing even people who are have trouble understanding you.”
Sebastian laughed again, a beautiful sound that rang out through the kitchen. “That’s true. I’m mainly interested in green energy. I’m hoping to contribute something meaningful to the world by helping us face climate change. It’s going to take everyone working together to build the future we need, and I know this is something real that I can do to help.” When he said it, he straightened his back a little. Unlike when Declan first met him, when he just seemed tired and distracted by work, Sebastian suddenly looked proud with purpose. “A lot of people in my field say I should just get a regular job and stop wasting my time on pipe dreams, but I know what’s possible. I know I’m capable of something bigger than that.”
“So you’re doing science experiments in there? Do I need to worry about explosions or poisonous gas or anything like that?”
“Nope,” he said cheerily. “Most of the experiments are run in the laboratories that my father’s corporation owns. They send the data back here for me to study, just like how I send them some of my results.” He drummed his fingers on the counter. “I’m actually coding, more than anything else. By designing bots that can extrapolate from the datasets that—”
“Okay,” Declan interrupted quickly, his mind turning inside out the second Sebastian started using that language. He was honestly curious, but hearing Sebastian talk was going to give him a flashback to failing high school science. “I trust you. And it sounds pretty cool.” He took another big bite of his sandwich, and Sebastian looked at him with a smile curling up the corners of his mouth.
“Got to say, though,” Declan added. “I’m surprised.”
“By what?”
“Your dad’s business. I thought that was a bunch of oil money.”
“And tech money, and shipping money, and everything other kind of money,” he answered. “What’s your point?”
Declan scoffed. “If that’s the case, why do they want you doing research into green energy?”
Sebastian nodded. “That’s a very smart question.”
Declan grunted. “I know it is.” He’d learned to be skeptical of people the hard way, and he knew that corporations didn’t give a damn about supporting some kid’s environmental dreams, no matter how much his dad might like to spoil him.
“Let me show you something,” Sebastian said, a twinkle in his eyes. “Come here.”
Declan shoved the rest of the sandwich in his mouth, then followed Sebastian deeper into his wing of the house. When he pushed open the door to the lab, sunlight poured across them. Sebastian headed over to his desk, then pulled out some papers, displaying them.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a contract,” he said. “See? I made my father sign it when I turned eighteen. It says that any projects we work on together can be used only for approved purposes. I let him utilize my research, but only for developments I approve ahead of time. In exchange, I get this whole setup, and I’m allowed to pursue my own interests without someone looking over my shoulder.”
Declan nodded carefully. He wasn’t sure he followed all the details, but Sebastian looked so damn proud, it almost made Declan feel proud for him, too. “Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, kid.”
Sebastian nodded, then shoved the papers back in the desk, looking suddenly shy again.
“I’m going to have a smoke, maybe walk the perimeter,” Declan said. His gut told to him to pry a little bit, to push his way past Sebastian’s shyness, but he knew better than to let his head get clouded by something like that.
“Sure,” Sebastian answered, his eyes darting back to his computer. “I should get back to this, too.”
Declan was surprised by the tension in the air when he pulled himself away, grabbing his jacket and scarf on the way to the door. It must have been nice, he figured, to have something in life you cared about the way Sebastian cared about his projects.
Not that a life like that was ever in the cards for Declan. For as long as Sebastian had been alive, crunching numbers on his computer, Declan had been throwing punches and fighting tooth and nail for a piece of the action. If Sebastian understood that reality, he’d probably freak the hell out, and kick his bodyguard out of the house in a heartbeat.
Declan stepped outside and lit up his cigarette, then squinted into the sunlight. His talents might not have been fancy, but it was a waste of them, having him cooped up in this house. No one was coming for this geeky guy or his fancy science experiments. There was no threat on the other side of that wall, just a rich old man who threw money at any problem that came his way, thinking it would disappear.
Declan puffed on his cigarette, then sighed. “Six months to a year,” he grumbled.
Maybe this time, at least, he’d finally learn to stop drinking goddamn tequila shots when he was playing poker.
